When visiting New York, luggage management can quickly become a headache, especially on arrival or departure days. Whether you’ve arrived before your hotel check-in time or have a few hours to kill after you’ve checked out, finding a safe place to leave your luggage is essential to making the most of the city.
What’s more, if your hotel is located outside the tourist areas, it’s often more practical to leave your luggage close to the places you want to visit. This allows you to make the most of your last few hours in New York before catching your flight, without having to make cumbersome trips back and forth with your suitcases.
Where can I leave my luggage in New York?
In New York, and particularly in Manhattan, traditional luggage lockers have all but disappeared. However, a number of specialised platforms have sprung up to meet this demand. Whether you’re in a tourist district of Manhattan or a borough like Brooklyn or Queens, there are practical and accessible solutions.
Two of the most popular platforms are Bounce and Nannybag, which work with local businesses such as hotels, cafés and boutiques to allow you to drop off your luggage safely.
- Bounce: with a vast network of drop-off points across New York, Bounce is one of the most widely used platforms. You can easily book a locker online for a few hours or a day, and drop your stuff off at partner locations all over the city.
- Nannybag: another very popular alternative, Nannybag offers similar services to Bounce, with a strong presence in New York. Using Nannybag also allows you to choose from a wide range of drop-off partners, making finding a convenient location very simple.
Bounce luggage instructions
NannyBag luggage instructions
How do these platforms work?
The two platforms work in very similar ways:
- Online booking: simply visit the Bounce or Nannybag website, choose a drop-off location based on your location or itinerary.
- Luggage drop-off: once you’re there, all you have to do is show your booking, drop off your luggage, and you’ll receive a receipt or confirmation for later collection.
- Security and flexibility: both services ensure that your baggage is in safe hands, in secure, supervised premises.
It is important to note that there are no luggage lockers at Grand Central Terminal or Port Authority, despite their status as major transport hubs. It is therefore essential to provide an alternative solution via the platforms mentioned.
Feedback from Bounce in New York
We tested the Bounce service on Wednesday 13 November 2024 in New York. Our experience began with an online reservation for two bags at theUPS Store 647 (Second Ave) – 1159 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Within minutes we received an email with a link to download the Bounce application. This application provided us with an essential barcode to present at the shop for baggage drop off.
Rest assured, if you can’t download the app at the last minute, a link in the email takes you to a web page with a PDF to print out, or you can take a screenshot with your smartphone to present the photo at a later date. This is a very practical option in the event of unforeseen circumstances or technical problems.
The next day, we went to the UPS Store to drop off our suitcases. After a simple scan of the barcode, a label was printed in two parts: one remained attached to our suitcase, while we kept the other for later retrieval.
A word of advice: This service proved extremely practical, saving us from wasting 3 hours dropping off our suitcases at a distant hotel. It offers great flexibility in maximising your time in New York, allowing you to make the most of your last moments in the city without being encumbered by your luggage.
Comparison of the two hubs
To help you find the best left-luggage office in New York, we’ve put together a comparison table of the two main platforms: Bounce and Nannybag. The table details the number of lockers available in the city and the prices charged by each service. Thanks to this comparison, you’ll be able to quickly identify the most practical and economical solution for depositing your luggage with complete peace of mind during your stay in New York.
| Bounce | NannyBag | |
| Number of lockers in Manhattan | More than 100 | More than 50 |
| Platform fee | 1,95$ | 1,50$ |
| Small bag | 4,90$ | 4,50$ |
| Suitcase | 6,60$ | 4,50$ |
| Bulky (golf bag) | 9,90$ | – |
Editor’s opinion
Although Nannybag and Bounce offer similar services in terms of convenience and security, we have a slight preference for Bounce. This is because the platform allows you to view customer reviews of the various drop-off points, which is a real plus when it comes to choosing a reliable, top-rated location. This transparency helps to reassure users and to select the best option based on feedback. Nannybag, on the other hand, does not yet offer this feature, which can sometimes make the choice a little more uncertain.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can take suitcases on the New York underground. However, as the metro is often overcrowded, it is best to avoid peak times when transporting large items of luggage, and to take care on the stairs in some stations that do not have lifts.
No, New York subways do not have lockers. If you need to leave your luggage somewhere, you’ll have to use platforms such as Bounce or Nannybag, or find lockers in partner stations or hotels.
Yes, there is a left-luggage office at JFK airport, located in terminal 4. This is particularly practical if you are in transit in New York and want to explore the city without taking on too much luggage. Prices vary according to the size of your luggage: up to 80 centimetres costs $25, while over 80 centimetres costs $35. This allows you to travel light and make the most of your stopover. You need to book in advance.
No, there is no left-luggage office at Newark airport.
No, there is no left-luggage office at LaGuardia airport.
These solutions make your stay lighter and avoid having to carry your luggage around all day, making it easier to get around the city.
